President on calls to declare he won’t seek reelection: “Do I really have to say I don’t steal?”

President Lee Jae-myung reportedly responded on September 4 to demands from the opposition and others that he “declare he will not seek reelection in order to prove the sincerity of his push for constitutional revision” by saying, in effect, “That is like asking someone to explicitly say they are not going to steal. Do I really need to say something like that?”

During a meeting with civic groups at the presidential office that day, Lee was asked whether he should state more explicitly that he would not seek reelection. According to multiple participants, Lee responded along those lines and added, “Even if I tried to pursue it, neither the public nor the National Assembly would accept it, so why would I bother saying that?” His remarks appeared to reiterate his position that, under the current Constitution, even if the Constitution were amended, the incumbent president would not be permitted to seek an additional consecutive term, and that doing so would in any case be politically unrealistic.

Lee was also asked about the possible deployment of South Korean forces to the Strait of Hormuz and reportedly replied, “Nothing has been decided.”

Lee was quoted as saying, in effect, “Britain and France are currently sending warships separately from the United States to ensure the safe passage of merchant vessels. If we were also to send a warship, it could look as though we were participating in the war. Nothing has been decided regarding a deployment.”

A senior presidential official also told reporters that day, “We are reviewing various options in connection with the readiness posture on the Korean Peninsula, and we believe there may be some room to maneuver as long as it does not significantly undermine our readiness on the peninsula.” The official nevertheless emphasized, “It is still under review, and nothing has been decided.”

Lee also discussed specific plans for the introduction of Mifegyne for the first time. Mifegyne is a medication used to terminate pregnancies in their early stages and is available in countries including the United States, France, and the United Kingdom.

Lee reportedly told participants at the meeting, “The Ministry of Health and Welfare and women’s groups have been discussing Mifegyne. The current direction is to allow it to be prescribed and dispensed within hospitals for two years, and then, after two years, move to a system in which it is prescribed by hospitals and dispensed by outside pharmacies.”

Efforts to introduce Mifegyne have gained momentum since President Lee instructed the Cabinet on August 14 to actively review the introduction of medication for terminating pregnancies.

Lee also spoke about his concerns regarding his approval ratings.

According to one participant, Lee said, “We need to work toward creating a ‘structural majority,’ but I think this is a difficult path because we could end up being criticized by both sides.” He also reportedly said, “I still believe the progressive-reform camp is a social minority.”

Lee added, “When I talk about a ‘structural majority,’ people start talking about a political realignment, but that is not what I mean.”

Asked about the possibility of dialogue between North Korea and the United States, Lee reportedly said, in effect, “North Korea seems to believe that in the past, things fell apart because South Korea inserted itself into North Korea–U.S. talks. That perception on North Korea’s part makes things difficult, but even if our government’s role is not highly visible, we will try to contribute to bringing about some kind of change in the current situation,” according to multiple participants.